Cooking Holiday recipe | Carciofi alla Romana

Also known as Carciofi alla giudea this is probably the most famous recipe from the Roman cuisine and ideally is cooked in the spring time when artichokes are in season . More technical than it looks it is well worth the effort for a wonderfully tasty dish and if you are a Taste Trails Rome - cooking holiday guest staying with us in primavera, then it's highly likely this dish will be on one of the lessons.

Cooking Instructions

Mince the garlic, parsley, and mint together. Mix in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil. Stuff the artichokes with the garlic mixture.

Place the remaining three tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a tall, narrow pot. Arrange the artichokes side by side in the pot with their stems facing up. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Pour in the wine and enough water to reach 2 inches up the side of the pot. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid wrapped in a flat-weave dishtowel (avoiding the flame). Place something heavy and nonflammable on top of the lid to hold it in place. Simmer over medium heat, lower the heat if the liquid begins to boil, until the artichokes are extremely tender and easily pierced with a fork, - 45 minutes. Check occasionally, and if the pot seems very dry, add water in small amounts.

When the artichokes are tender, remove the lid, turn the heat up to high, and boil until most of the liquid has evaporated and just the oil remains in the pot.

Remove the artichokes with a slotted spoon, and set aside to cool, reserving the cooking liquid.

When the artichokes have cooled, drizzle them with the oil and the remaining liquid.

Serve at room temperature.

Cooking holiday Italy recipe : Agnello alla Scottadito

A firm favourite with Taste Trails Rome | Cooking holiday Italy , this grilled lamb-chop cutlet recipe is called agnello alla scottadito in Italian. "Scottadito" means "finger-burning," and with these chops it's a risk because they're so delicious and fragrant, you might find it difficult to wait for them to cool before grabbing one to taste it.

Cooking Instructions

In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, pepper, lemon zest, mint, and rosemary. Rub the mix over the chops and cover them completely , and let them stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or refrigerate covered for up to a day.

To grill the chops, fire up the grill to a high heat. Season the chops lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Cook, turning until the chops are well seared on the outside and a little pink in the centre. This should be at least 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to a platter, and serve piping hot. Your fingers will forgive you.

Why not check out our other Cooking holiday Italy recipes

This recipe is an example of what to expect with Taste Trails Rome | cooking holidays in Italy. What we cook in the lessons depends on the time of the year and what is in season . We try and use only fresh , local and if possible organic ingredients .